IT MEARKE FEN DE TRIJE EINEPYLTSJES
by Simke Kloosterman · from Twiljocht-teltsjes : $b Maerkes
Adapted Version
Three ducklings lived in a pond with their mother. The pond was their whole world. They swam and played. They were happy and safe.
The First Duckling wanted to see new places. The pond felt too small for him. His neck felt restless. His mother gave him soft advice. "Be safe," she said. He shook his head. On a sunny morning, he flew away. He was a tiny dot in the sky. His heart was full of hope.
The Second Duckling also wanted to go. He asked his mother for advice. He asked the wise old ducks. He made a good plan. Then he left. He knew the way. He knew where to find friends.
The Third Duckling stayed. The pond was big enough for her. She had no wish to leave. She was happy at home. Her ducklings swam around her in the pond.
Their mother grew old. Her wings were weak. She could not fly far. She missed her children very much. Autumn was coming.
A storm brought the First Duckling home. He was hurt and very tired. He had seen the big world. But he was very sick. He needed to rest forever.
His mother took him under her wing. They sat in the reeds. He was like a little duckling again. He went to sleep forever.
Many years later, the Second Duckling came back. He had a big family of his own. He was rich and wise. But he did not feel happy at home. He had forgotten how nice the pond was.
His old mother felt this. It made her sad. She became very, very old. She went to sleep forever in the reeds, near her first son.
The Third Duckling lived on in the pond. She was happy with her family. The pond was home. She remembered her mother with love.
The duckling who stayed was the happiest because she loved her home and family.
Original Story
IT MEARKE FEN DE TRIJE EINEPYLTSJES.
Der wierne ris trije einepyltsjes, dy swommen mei inoar yn ien greate poel, alle trije krekt en allike great en alle trije hiene hja sidene manteltsjes om fen fearkes. Jouns den naem in moai bûnt ropeintsje se ûnder de wjukken en gyng mei hjar yn ’e wal sitten ûnder de wylgenbeam en moarnsier, as de hearlike sinne opgyng yn ’t Easten, den kipen de lytse kopkes al wer ta memme plûm út. Hja wierne alle trije krekt en allyk fen komôf en klean en ienselde greate poel wie hjar wrâld en ûnder ien en diselde memmewjuk hiene hja hjar thús.
Hja waerden greater en de âldste krige in krol yn ’e nekke. Hy woe der op út, de wrâld fen ’e poel wie him fierst to lyts, der bistie noch in greatere, dy-t hy net koe en dochs sjen woe. Syn mem siet neist him yn it lange simmergêrs en rette it him ôf. En syn migen en sibben kamen, éarken lyk as hy, mei wirdige kroantsjes op ’e kop en moddereinen en bergeinen, in hiel gearset en kwêkjende hâlden se him it biswierlike fen syn plan foar. Hy skodholle allinne mar en op in moaije simmermoarn do fleach hy foart en waerde wei yn ’t kleare blau fen de loft as in nietich wyt stipke, it herte fol plannen, droegen op ’e wjukken fen langstme.
It lytse ropeintsje hâldde nou noch mar twa berntsjes mear oer. Dy waerden ek great en like moai as mem alear west hie; it iene wie in éarke mei in brún fewielen buiske oan en ’t oare wie nei de mem útskaeid, och sa ’n ljeaf lyts ropeintsje wie it. En jouns krûpen hja mei hjar trijen efter it âlde hout op in skobbe strie forside en der slepten hja den de hiele lange soele simmernacht. Mar op in duer koe de brune éarke der gjin frede mei ha, det ientoanige libben hinge him de kiel út en yn oerlech mei syn mem frege hy de wiisten fen syn folk om ried. It waerde der nou in hiele poel fol greaten en lytsen en hy dreau yn ’t foarmidden om en harke dernei, hwet de âldsten en ’e wiisten seine en nei de ried fen syn mem, hwent der roan hy fier mei. Hy scoe der den ek mar ris op út, mar earst woe hy wissichheit ha, det hy gjin ongemak hâlde scoe en hy bitocht him noch wiken lang en do-t hy einliks op reis gyng, wist hy goed it paed en hofolle as ’t koste en hwer goefrjeonen wennen. Syn mem brocht him oan ’e mar ta en do bleau hja der de hiele middei op in driûwtille sitten, as hy ek noch werom komme scoe. Mar hy hie him goed bitocht en noch ris wer bitocht... hy liet de moedfear net sa gau hingje.
De tredde bleau by mem. De wrâld fen ’e poel wie hjar greaternôch; hja hie gjin langstme nei it ûnbikende en gjin kreft genôch yn ’e wjukken om fierder to fleanen as hjar foarsaten. Yn dy greate poel, der hja sels lyts west hie, dreauwne letter ek hjar einepyltsjes om hjar hinne en hja hat noait fierder west as yn ’t boutúntsje fen ’e boer en op ’e strjitwei, as de ikels foelen by ’t hjerst.
ienselde greate poel wie hjar wrâld
It ropeintsje, det se ienkear alle trije ûnder hjar wjukjes kûstere hie, waerde âld en losfearrich en joech hjar nei sitten en iten yn ’e smoute fen ’e sleatswâl. Mar sims, as der hiele kloften wylde einen foarby fleagen, sloech hja de wjukjes ek noch wol ris efkes út en bisochte om hjar op to jaen, sa ’s by âlds. Mar sei! de âlderdom hie hjar wjukken koárt, hja floddere allinne mar mear in eintsje boppe de groun om en it blau fen ’e loft bleau oneinige fier boppe hjar! O hwet scoe se oars graech hjar bern yn ’e mjitte fleane wolle, dy-t om fierrens tein wierne en ring werom komme moasten, hwent it waerde hjerst.
Einliks... der droech de Súdwesterstoarm de âldste wer nei hûs ta, oansketten en bloeddrich kniesd. Hy kaem thús om to stjerren... Hy wiste nou alles, alles fen ’t libben en ’e wrâld, mar fen al syn hoop en moed en kreft, hwer hy mei foarttein wie, naem hy neat oars wer mei nei hûs as in hertewoune, dy-t him de dea dwaen scoe, dy earme fûgel, dy-t heech flein wie en tofolle leauwd hie oan alles, hwet moai en goed wie yn ’e greate wrâld.
En syn âlde mem gyng mei him nei it fierste plakje ta yn ’e reiden en der naem hja him noch ris wer ûnder ’e wjuk, krekt as ’r in lyts pyltsje wie en sa is hy stoarn.
...Do-t de beanhearre ek oer in greate mar waeide, bigoan de foarsichtige om hûs to tinken. It wie nou al lange jierren lyn, sont hy syn mem sjoen hie, hy woe ek noch wol ris oer ’e poel driûwe, der ’t hy berne wie. Hy wie in ryk man waen yn ’e frjemdte en in wiis man en ’e tûkste jager krige him net ûnder skot, yn ien wird, hy hie it fier brocht yn ’e wrâld en wie de baes oer in hiele femylje fen lytsen en greaten. Al wie ’t ek noch sa lang lyn, hy wist it paed noch wol nei hûs ta en op in goede dei, do fleagen se op, it hiele lytse fearre folkje. Underweis die hy ek noch hwet hânnel en bistelde as in foarsichtich man plakken for de weromreis. Hy wie fet waen en eptich en eigenwiis en do-t se tichte by hûs kamen en hy al de plakjes út syn jonkheit werom seach, waerde hy der net iens oars fen.
De goede dagen dêrre yn ’e frjemdte hiene it ljeaflike oantinken oan syn âldershûs útwiske.
En do-t de hiele smite yn ’e poel delstreake, fielde syn âlde mem det. It die hjar sear en hja is stil wei-waen yn ’e reiden, hwer hjar âldste bern fen syn lange reis en syn lijen útrêstte.
Story DNA
Moral
True wisdom and happiness are not always found in grand adventures or material success, but sometimes in contentment with one's origins and the simple joys of life.
Plot Summary
Three ducklings are raised by their mother in a peaceful pond. The eldest, driven by ambition, leaves to explore the wide world and eventually returns broken and dying, having found only suffering. The second, cautious and wise, also leaves and returns years later as a wealthy and successful leader, but emotionally detached from his origins. The third duckling remains content in the pond, raising her own family. The mother, heartbroken by her eldest's death and her second's coldness, quietly passes away, leaving the third duckling to embody the simple wisdom of staying home.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to sorrow (for the mother and first son) | ambition to disillusionment | contentment to quiet wisdom
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Simke Kloosterman was a prominent Frisian writer, and her work often reflects a deep connection to Frisian culture, landscape, and values, including themes of home, nature, and the human condition.
Plot Beats (13)
- Three identical ducklings live happily with their mother in a large pond, their world confined to its waters.
- The eldest duckling, driven by ambition, decides to leave the pond to see the wider world, despite his mother's and relatives' warnings.
- He flies off, a tiny white speck, full of plans and longing.
- The second duckling, also growing restless, consults with his mother and the wisest of his kind, carefully planning his journey.
- He eventually leaves, well-prepared and knowing his path and where to find friends.
- The third duckling chooses to stay with her mother, content with the pond as her world, and eventually raises her own ducklings there.
- The mother duck grows old, her wings too weak to fly far, longing for her absent children as autumn approaches.
- The eldest duckling is brought home by a storm, wounded and dying, having gained knowledge of the world but only a fatal heart-wound.
- His mother takes him under her wing one last time in the reeds, and he dies.
- Years later, the cautious second duckling, now rich and wise and a leader of his own family, decides to return home.
- He returns to the pond, but his good fortune has erased his fond memories of home, and he feels no emotion.
- His old mother feels his emotional distance and quietly passes away in the reeds, near where her eldest son rests.
- The third duckling continues to live a simple, fulfilling life in the pond, never having left.
Characters
The Mother Duck
A beautiful, mottled duck, initially vibrant but becoming old and loose-feathered. Her wings, once strong enough to shelter three ducklings, become short and weak with age, only allowing her to flutter a short distance above the ground.
Attire: Her natural plumage, described as a 'beautiful mottled' pattern when younger, becoming 'loose-feathered' in old age.
Wants: To protect and nurture her children, and to see them return home safely.
Flaw: Her deep emotional connection to her children, which causes her immense sorrow when they leave or suffer. Her physical aging also limits her ability to act.
She ages significantly throughout the story, experiencing the joy of motherhood, the pain of her children leaving, the tragedy of her eldest's death, and the quiet sorrow of her second son's emotional detachment. She dies quietly in the reeds, near where her eldest rested.
Loving, protective, wise, sorrowful, resigned. She advises her children, grieves their departures, and feels the emotional distance of her second son.
The Eldest Duckling
Initially, a duckling identical to his siblings, with a silken feather mantle. As he grows, he develops a 'curl in his neck,' indicating a distinctive, perhaps proud, posture. He returns home 'shot and bloodily bruised,' indicating severe physical injury.
Attire: His natural plumage, described as a 'silken mantle of feathers.'
Wants: To explore the world beyond the pond, driven by a longing for the unknown and a belief in its wonders.
Flaw: His idealism and perhaps naivety, leading him to believe too much in the good of the great world, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
Leaves home full of hope and plans, explores the world, but returns broken and dying, having learned the harsh realities of life. He dies in his mother's care.
Adventurous, ambitious, idealistic, brave, ultimately tragic. He yearns for the unknown and believes in the beauty of the world.
The Cautious Duckling
A drake with a 'brown velvet breast.' He becomes 'fat and cheerful and conceited' in his travels, suggesting a well-fed and robust appearance.
Attire: His natural plumage, featuring a 'brown velvet breast.'
Wants: To explore the world safely and profitably, to become successful and wise, and to return home a 'rich man.'
Flaw: His emotional detachment and self-absorption. His success makes him forget the warmth of his home and his mother's love.
Leaves home after extensive planning, becomes a rich and wise leader in a foreign land, and returns home with his own family. However, his success has made him emotionally distant, and he fails to reconnect with his mother, causing her sorrow.
Cautious, shrewd, pragmatic, ambitious, self-reliant, ultimately emotionally detached. He plans meticulously and prioritizes security and success.
The Youngest Duckling
Initially, a duckling identical to his siblings, with a silken feather mantle. As he grows, he is described as a 'dear little mottled duck,' resembling his mother. He remains within the familiar confines of the pond and its immediate surroundings.
Attire: His natural plumage, described as a 'silken mantle of feathers' when young, and later as a 'dear little mottled duck,' resembling his mother's coloring.
Wants: To live a peaceful life within the familiar world of the pond, raising her own family.
Flaw: Lack of ambition or desire for exploration, limiting her experiences to a small world.
Remains in the pond throughout her life, raises her own ducklings there, and never travels beyond the immediate vicinity. She embodies a life of quiet contentment and tradition.
Content, home-loving, unadventurous, traditional, maternal. She finds satisfaction in the familiar and has no desire for the unknown.
Locations
The Great Pond
A large, expansive body of water, the entire world for the ducklings. It is surrounded by long summer grass and willow trees along its banks. Later, reeds grow densely at its edges.
Mood: Initially a safe, nurturing home; later, a place of longing, return, and quiet sorrow.
The ducklings' birthplace and childhood home; where the mother duck nurtures her young; where the eldest duckling returns to die; where the mother duck eventually passes away.
Under the Willow Tree by the Bank
A specific spot along the pond's bank, sheltered by the drooping branches of a willow tree, where the mother duck would gather her ducklings under her wings.
Mood: Warm, safe, nurturing, intimate.
The ducklings' nightly sleeping place under their mother's wing.
Behind the Old Wood on a Straw Side
A sheltered, cozy spot behind some old wood, possibly a fallen log or discarded timber, with a bed of scattered straw.
Mood: Cozy, secure, simple, rustic.
The sleeping place for the mother duck and her two remaining ducklings after the eldest left.
The Reeds (Eldest's Resting Place)
The furthest, most secluded spot within the dense reeds at the edge of the great pond.
Mood: Somber, peaceful, final, secluded.
The place where the eldest duckling dies in his mother's care, and later, where the mother duck herself quietly passes away.